Abstract
Exposure to heavy metals can influence on metabolism, but studies have not fully evaluated young children. We investigated the association between levels of serum lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As) and risk of dyslipidemia in children. A total of 4513 children aged 6 to 9 years at 19 primary schools in Shenzhen were enrolled. Overall, 663 children with dyslipidemia were matched 1:1 with control by sex and age, and levels of serum Pb, Cd, Cr, and As were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Demographic characteristics and lifestyle were covariates in the logistic regression to determine the association of heavy metal levels with risk of dyslipidemia. Serum Pb and Cd levels were significantly higher in children with dyslipidemia than controls (133.08 vs. 84.19 μg/L; 0.45 vs. 0.29 μg/L; all P < 0.05), but this association was not found in Cr and As. We found significant upward trends for the odds ratios (ORs) of dyslipidemia associated with increasing quartiles of Pb and Cd levels (highest quartile of serum Pb OR 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46–2.38; Cd OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.94–3.24). Elevated serum Pb and Cd levels were associated with increased risk of dyslipidemia among children.
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The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge all the doctors and nurses in the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Baoan Central Hospital, Shenzhen. The authors also thank all the school doctors and teachers in Baoan District who participated in the survey.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. The experiments were conceived and designed by Qingying Zhang. Material preparation was performed by Yingbin You. Data collection and analysis were performed by Shufan Li, Ruiguo Liu, Yueyang Wu, Rimei Liang, Zhijiang Zhou, and Jiaqi Chen. Methodology guidance was provided by Pi Guo. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Shufan Li, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Baoan Central Hospital of Shenzhen (protocol code IRB-PJ-2018–002) and was performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Participation was voluntary, and written informed consent was obtained from all parents of the participants before enrolment.
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Li, S., Liu, R., Wu, Y. et al. Elevated serum lead and cadmium levels associated with increased risk of dyslipidemia in children aged 6 to 9 years in Shenzhen, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 70558–70568 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27335-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27335-0